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Marine exercise to reduce West Coast deployments

Posted: June 22, 2011 - 12:14am

Savannah

MARINE EXERCISE TO REDUCE WEST COAST DEPLOYMENTS

BEAUFORT - Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort will participate in Exercise Mailed Fist, a 2d Marine Aircraft Wing Large Force Exercise along the East Coast today and Thursday at the Vidalia Regional Airport, Vidalia, Ga.

MCAS-based Marine Wing Support Squadron 273 established an expeditionary airfield at the regional airport and will demonstrate the Marine Corps' ability to land military aircraft on land using shorter runways similar to those found on an aircraft carrier. The expeditionary airfield is expected to receive the F/A-18 Hornet, the MV-22 Osprey and the EA-6B Prowler during the duration of the exercise.

Beaufort's Marine Air Control Squadron 2, Detachment A, and Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 122 will also participate in the exercise as the air traffic control and F/A-18 assets, respectively.

Exercise Mailed Fist is a 2d Marine Aircraft Wing initiative intended to further enhance the training and capabilities of East Coast aviation assets, a Marine spokesman said. The exercise combines separate training events which streamlines training and provides 2d MAW units with real-world command and control experience on a scale that was not previously available on the East Coast.

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